Conclusion
I would like to reiterate that I personally bought this unit in March, 2023. I did not contact Thrustmaster about this part. Thrustmaster did not have an editorial say in this review. I received no compensation from Thrustmaster.
Buying your own units for review may not always be sustainable due to the prices of parts. What it does allow is much more flexibility in meeting timelines and conducting tests for far longer than most companies will tolerate. I think 2 years is a pretty extreme example of this, but sadly the first year of this product was frustrating. The second year the product was in much better shape, but I simply did not have the time to address this review with real life issues and workloads.
So here we are with two years of experience with the Thrustmaster T818. After a rough start it has turned into a very solid direct drive base. Software, firmware, ecosystem support, and additional parts available to improve the overall experience have made it a quality part that addresses an important market for sim racers. $699 US is not cheap, but it does provide a very strong 10 N-m plus experience. Competing parts in that power range are all around that area, if not a little bit more. The Fanatec Clubsport DD is a 12 N-m unit that is $100 more expensive. Thrustmaster offers a little less power (remember, it is theorized that it could be categorized as a 12 or 13 N-m part in terms of peak torque) for a lower price.
While this does not reflect on the T818, I am disappointed that Thrustmaster has not introduced a load cell based pedal system beyond the T-LCM pedals. It does look like Thrustmaster may be moving in that direction with their recent Raceline Pedals LTE (Long Term Evolution). This $99 US set looks like the units from Moza and Fanatec that can be adjusted, as well as adding on a load cell kit. There is no official announcement that this is in fact where Thrustmaster is going with their LTE pedals, but it certainly looks like it does to me. I tested the T818 with the now discontinued T3PA-Pro pedals. These did fine, but for racing purists who prefer a progressive brake pedal it is not a good comparison to a real load cell kit that features 70+ pounds of force.
I have been very happy with my purchase once Thrustmaster ironed out all the issues I had with this wheel base. The T818 is a good balance of price and performance, and the Thrustmaster ecosystem of rims, accessories, and pedal bases allow the user to mix and match products to their own style of racing. The Fast Release mechanism certainly won’t be found in any real cars, but this implementation is easy to use and exceptionally firm considering that it is not a 100% machined aluminum construction. Swapping out wheels is simple and snapping the mechanism back in place is satisfying.
This is a huge upgrade from previous geared and pulley systems. The experience of a strong direct drive unit is a whole new world compared to the older bases. There is no lag or softness to the force feedback, and it is just instant power delivered to the user’s hands. It seems that older pulley based systems are becoming more and more rare. Thrustmaster still sells options like the TS-PC and T248, but they also recently introduced a very interesting looking direct drive product in the T598. That unit features a different configuration with a direct axial drive motor. That particular unit is $200 less expensive than the T818, but it features a wheel and pedals. It is a weaker solution at 5 N-m.
It took Thrustmaster a few decades to develop a direct drive base, and it seems like it was time well spent. The T818 is a great piece of engineering that provides hours and hours of consistent and solid performance. I have abused it nicely for the past two years and it has not missed a beat. Thrustmaster offers a 2 year warranty on their parts and their support responds quickly to issues.
I would highly recommend the T818 for a user looking to get more serious with their sim driving. It is a great experience and Thrustmaster continually is improving their entire racing ecosystem with new and high quality parts. They also tend to hit lower price points than competitors like Fanatec and Asetek. These parts are readily available direct from Thrustmaster as well as retailers around the world. Currently, it is PC only. There is no console support as of yet, and it is unclear if there ever will be.
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